What is often repeated is that the Cowboys drafted very well and they want to re-sign their draftees. Is that accurate? I looked at all the draft picks from 2014 to 2023 and found that very few of the players who actually joined the team signed a second contract. No one remains from the classes of 2015 and 2018. One player each remains from the 2017 and 2019 classes. None of the first- and second-round picks from 2015 to 2019 are on the team. Is this draft and development reputation a myth? – William Goehring/Brevard, NC
patrick: No, it's not a myth, but context is needed here. For example, free agency is a two-way street in terms of the number of draft picks acquired in the second contract, and the Cowboys have long been involved in bidding wars, even if it's for their own players. Think of it as being uninterested in winning. Drafted and developed. Also, if you compare it to the hit-miss rate of every other team in the league over the same time period, you can quickly see that Dallas is one of the best teams in the league in terms of batting average. , they are often big hits, sometimes out of nowhere (e.g. Daron Brand, Donovan Wilson). And sometimes, a player who was predicted to be a no-pick ends up becoming an All-Pro instead (e.g. Tyler Smith). Did they always win the draft? No, but which team has it? While the 2023 draft class is facing a very tough battle, the 2022 draft class has flown right out of the gate. So let's take a look at what the pressure-filled 2024 draft class can do. But look around the league again and you'll quickly see the big picture.
Nick Harris: I don't think so. Considering the number of draft picks/rookie acquisitions on the team, that number is among the best in the league in retaining and developing talent. Let's take a look at the top of the roster and see who has contributed the most in recent years: Micah Parsons, Daron Brand, Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, Zach Martin, Tyler Smith, DeMarcus Lawrence. …You can count them up. Few teams have the ability to acquire so many draft picks so high up on their roster before reaching free agency. This is where development becomes important. It's less about how many players are on the team and more about the talent at the top of the Cowboys' draft picks.
